Not Yearning to Be Saved: Arranged (2007) and the Politics of Liberal Savior Narratives

Abstract

In recent decades, Western film and television platforms have devoted growing attention to portrayals of Orthodox Jewish and Muslim communities. However, a significant subset of these productions is marked by an important limitation: the trend of savior narratives. Such narratives are based on the notion that Orthodox Jewish women and observant Muslim women are often yearning to escape their customs and communities. These narratives are a product of the liberal assumption that individual autonomy is central to human flourishing. However, this article argues that Arranged (2007) prepares audiences to question this assumption and thereby revisit savior narratives. Analyzing the film in conversation with Saba Mahmood’s critique of liberalism, I contend that Arranged challenges savior narratives by offering a glimpse into nonliberal modes of human flourishing. Instead of embarking upon a path of autonomous rebellion, Rochel and Nasira, the film’s protagonists, engage with their communities as well as religious and cultural norms to find self-fulfillment, thereby subverting the logic of savior narratives.

Recommended Citation

Afaqi, Shaheer (2026) "Not Yearning to Be Saved: Arranged (2007) and the Politics of Liberal Savior Narratives," Journal of Religion & Film: Vol. 30: Iss. 1, Article 41.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/jrf/vol30/iss1/41